Part One: Hymns 1-25

Composed by Gutoku Shinran

1

Take refuge in Prince Shotoku of the country of Japan!Our indebtedness to his propagation of the Buddhist teaching is profound.His compassionate activity to save sentient beings is far-reaching;Do not be lax in reverent praise of him!

2

In order to construct the four subtemplesOf a temple of the four deva-kings (Shintenno-ji), he went into a timber forestIn the district of Otagi (present Kyoto), in Yamashiro province.At that time, he made a proclamation.

3

He stated that in time to come, without fail,The imperial capital would stand on that site.In order to benefit the sentient beings of the future,He made a hexagonal platform of earth.

4

He constructed a hexagonal hallAnd therein enshrinedA statue of Jambunada gold, three inches tall,Of great Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the world savior.

5

After spending several decadesIn the imperial capital at Namba in Settsu province,He moved to the capital of TachibanaAnd built Horyu-ji temple.

6

From the capital of TachibanaHe moved to Nara;Constructing a number of great temples,He widely spread the Buddha’s teaching.

7

After the reigns of four emperors in Nara,The capital was moved to Nagaoka.After fifty years there,It was moved to Otagi.

8

In Enryaku 6 (787), during the august reignOf Emperor Kammu, at the time of the constructionOf this capital, Avalokitesvara, the world savior,Manifested miraculous signs.

9

This temple was built upon the first siteFor the Buddhist teaching in the land of Japan.Thereafter, through the Prince’s benefit,Temples and pagodas were built in many places.

10

Reverently following the command of the Prince,The people took refuge in the hexagonal temple.They paid homage thereAlong with the imperial family and court officials.

11

In India, Prince ShotokuWas born as Queen Srimala,And in China appearedAs Master Hui-ssu.

12

He appeared in ChinaTo benefit sentient beings;He was reborn five hundred timesAs both man and woman.

13

So that the Buddhist teaching be established and flourish,He appeared in Hunan province, at Mount Heng;Passing tens of incarnations,He spread Sakyamuni Tathagata’s teaching.

14

In order to bring sentient beings to liberation,He appeared as Master Hui-ssu;In the temple at Mount Heng where the Wisdom Sutras were taught,He was known as Master of Southern Mountain.

15

A record bearing the handprint seal of the PrinceStates that in order to benefit sentient beingsHe constructed a templeIn the eastern part of the Koryo district (in present Osaka).

16

As the dharma-name of the temple of the four deva-kings,The designation Koryo-ji temple was given.Because it was built in the Koryo district,It was named thus.

17

In the year 593,Moving to the eastern part of the Koryo district,He gave the name Shitenno-ji (temple of the four deva-kings),And widely spread the Buddhist teaching.

18

To this place in the past,Sakyamuni Tathagata cameAnd indicated it as a site for the turning of the dharma-wheel;He spread the Buddhist teaching.

19

At that time, the rich and virtuous PrinceMade offerings to the Tathagata.Because of this relationship,He built the temple and pagoda.

20

Making statues of the four great deva-kingsAnd spreading the Buddhist teaching,He built Kyoden-in templeAs a site where enlightenment would be realized.

21

On this site, there is a body of pure water;It is called Koryo pond.An auspicious dragon constantly dwell therein;It protects the Buddhist teaching.

22

In the year 597,On the bank at Tamatsukuri,He performed rites for the dragonAnd protected the Buddhist teaching.

23

The seven precious materials were laid at this site;Hence, the dragon dwells there constantly.The pure water flows to the east;It is called flowing water of white jade.

24

Hearing that it unfailingly becomes dharma-medicineFor people who drink it with a heart of compassion,Those who believe the Prince’s wordsAll trustingly draw from its flow.

25

The pagoda and main hall face the centerOf the eastern gate of the Land of Bliss;Those who make a pilgrimage there onceUnfailingly attain birth in the Pure Land.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Collected Works of Shinran has been designed to present the entire body of Shinran's doctrinal writings in translations that are consistent in method, lucid, and reliable. English versions have been produced drawing on recent research in Buddhist, historical, and religious studies and on the rich tradition of Shin Buddhist scholarship. Special attention has been given to rendering Shinran's works with a high degree of literal accuracy, in the hope that the translations might thus serve effectively in guiding readers to an understanding of the core of his thought, the religious transformation termed shinjin.

The translations have been closely reviewed by a committee chaired by the General Editor of the Shin Buddhism Translation Series. Professor Yoshifumi Ueda served as General Editor from the start of the Series in 1978 to the year of his death in 1993, at the age of eighty-eight. He contributed formatively and substantially to the policies for translation and to a number of introductions and glossary entries. Professor Gadjin M. Nagao, who has been active in the project since its beginnings, has served as General Editor from 1993 to the present. The review committee, which has met monthly since 1978, at present includes, in addition to the translation staff: Professors Keiwa Ishida, Jitsuen Kakehashi, and Ryusei Takeda. In the past, Professors Ryosetsu Fujiwara, Mitsuyuki Ishida (deceased), Kenryo M. Kumata (deceased), Hakunin Matsuo, Michio Sato, and Shoho Takemura also served on this committee.

Throughout the project from its inception, the original drafts of the translations have been prepared by the Head Translator, Dennis Hirota, and then reviewed in weekly meetings with a committee of translators. This committee, which has also contributed to the introductions and other appended materials, at present includes Professors Hisao Inagaki, Michio Tokunaga, and Ryushin Uryuzu. In the past, Professors Taitetsu Unno and Fumimaro Watanabe (deceased) also served on this committee and contributed in particular to deliberations regarding translations of technical terms.

Invaluable assistance in the process of publication has been provided by Kimiko Hirota (editorial assistance and proofreading), Masako Sugimoto (proofreading and indexing), Yoshiharu Wake (list of terms), and W.S. Yokoyama (copy editing, book design, and cover).